Terminal connection for electron discharge device



July 1966 J. A. B. DECHERING TERMINAL CONNECTION FOR ELECTRON DISCHARGEDEVICE Filed Feb. 1, 1962 I IIIZZIZZIZZ FIG.2

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INVENTOR JOHANNES A.B DECHERING Y 22601. AGEN United States Patent3,260,884 TERMINAL CONNECTION FOR ELECTRON DISCHARGE DEVICE JohannesAntonius Bernardus Dechering, Emmasingel, Eindhoven, Netherlands,assignor to North American Philips Company, Inc., New York, N.Y., acorporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 1, 1962, Ser. No. 171,329 Claimspriority, applicagmglistherlands, Feb. 7, 1961,

3 Claims. (Cl. 315-35) The invention relates to a device for connectingthe cylindrical edge of a disc-shaped electrode lead of an electricdischarge tube to a conductive wall, in which in this conductive wall ahelically wound spring closed to a torus is provided in a circularrecess having a rectangular cross-section, which spring is in contactwith the upper and lower sides of the recess as viewed when the tube ismounted vertically and joins the cylindrical edge of the electrodesupply.

Contact springs as indicated above are used in many constructions andsometimes the recess has a rounded or trapezoidal cross-section.Although the contact spring is comparatively resilient, so that oninserting the disc shaped electrode lead no difiiculties areexperienced, the tolerance at the electrode supply is comparativelysmall. In electric discharge tubes which comprise a number ofdisc-shaped electrode leads which in general may show mutual mountingdeviations, or in tubes which must, for example, be capable of beingadjusted in a magnetic field, the small tolerance sometimes is adrawback. The object of the invention is to mitigate this drawback.

In a device for connecting the cylindrical edge of a disc-shapedelectrode supply to a conductive wall, in which in this conductive walla helically wound spring closed to a torus is provided in a circularrecess having a rectangular cross-section, which spring is in contactwith the upper and lower sides of the recess and encloses the edge ofthe electrode lead, the torus-shaped spring is enclosed, according tothe invention in a rigid ring which is movable in a radial direction inthe circular recess.

With the construction according to the invention, a rather large radialtolerance of the torus-shaped spring can be obtained without the highfrequency contact being harmfully influenced by it, because this isensured by the contact which is made by the turns of the spring with theupper and lower sides of the circular recess, while the springomni-directionally still encloses the edge.

The invention is of importance for travelling wave tubes, disc-triodesand for klystrons having one, two or more resonators.

In order that the invention may readily be carried into effect, oneembodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example, withreference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a travelling wave tubewhich is mounted in an amplifier device which is provided with onesingle contact spring mounting according to the invention, while FIGURE2 shows a detail of the contact spring mounting according to theinvention.

In the figures, reference numeral 1 is the hollow input wave guide andreference numeral 2 the hollow output wave guide of an amplifier havinga travelling wave tube 3. Input and output wave guides are connected bya circular-cylindrical wave guide 4, within which the glass wall 5 ofthe travelling wave guide is located at a small distance. Two metaldisc-shaped electrode leads 6 and 7 respectively, which form theconnection with the Wave 3,260,884 Patented July 12, 1966 guides 1 and2, respectively are sealed to the wall 5. To the other side of the disc6, a short glass cylinder 8 is sealed within which the parts of theelectron gun not shown are located. The disc 7 supports the collectorelectrode not shown via a short glass cylinder. Between the discs 6 and7, the helical delay line 9 is arranged ending in transition members,which line is supported by three ceramic rods 10. A third metaldisc-shaped electrode lead 11, which is in contact with the transitionof the wave guides 2 and 4 in which a satisfactory tight high-frequencyconnection is ensured, is passed through the wall in the proximity ofthe disc 7. The disc 11 supports the satisfactorily conductive tube 12.The cylindrical edge of the disc is indicated by 21.

The discs 6 and 7 respectively are in contact with the outer walls ofthe wave guides 1 and 2 by means of the torus-shaped springs 14 and 15respectively which are enclosed in the rectangular bored recesses 16 and17. This is a known construction. However, the edge 21 is in contactwith the wall 13 of the wave guide 2 via the torus-shaped spring 18(FIGURE 2) which is enclosed in the recess 19, which is bored to a widerextent, and in the movable ring 20. The turns of the spring 18 contactthe upper and lower sides of the recesses 22 and 23 respectively. As aresult of the movability of the ring 20 and the spring 18 enclosed init, mounting deviations of the disc 11 with respect to the discs 6 and 7can be prevented.

While the invention has been described in connection with a specificembodiment and applications thereof, other modifications will beapparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A terminal connection for connecting a disc-shaped electrode leadwith a cylindrical edge of an electron discharge device to a conductivewall provided with a circular recess having a rectangular cross-section,said terminal connection comprising a torus-shaped helically woundspring in contact with the upper and lower sides of the recess and whichencloses the edge of the electrode lead, and a rigid annular membermovable in a radial direction in the circular recess enclosing thetorus-shaped spring.

2. In a travelling-wave tube system including an electron dischargetubehaving an elongated envelope, a helical delay line Within saidenvelope, terminal members at both ends of said delay line, and inputand output wave-guide means each having a conductive Wall provided witha circular recess having a rectangular crosssection, the combination ofa disc-shaped electrode lead having a cylindrical edge extending throughthe envelope and connected to a terminal member and a torus-shapedhelically-wound spring enclosed in a rigid ring movable in a radialdirection in the circular recess of each conductive wall and engagingthe upper and lower sides of the recess and the cylindrical edge of theelectrode lead.

3. A travelling-wave tube as claimed in claim 2 in which the delay lineis surrounded for part of its length by a conductive tube which isconnected to one wall of the output wave-guide by a torus-shaped springand a disc-shaped electrode lead as claimed in claim 2.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,937,309 5/1960Lauer 3l55.38X

DAVID J. GALVIN, Primary Examiner. ARTHUR GAUSS, Examiner.

V. LAFRANCHI, Assistant Examiner.

1. A TERMINAL CONNECTION FOR CONNECTION A DISC-SHAPED ELECTRODE LEADWITH A CYLINDRICAL EDGE OF AN ELECTRON DISCHARGE DEVICE TO A CONDUCTIVEWALL PROVIDED WITH A CIRCULAR RECESS HAVING A RECTANGULAR CROSS-SECTION,SAID TERMINAL CONNECTION COMPRISING A TORUS-SHAPED HELICALLY WOUNDSPRING IN CONTACT WITH THE UPPER AND LOWER SIDES OF THE RECESS AND WHICHENCLOSES THE EDGE OF THE ELECTRODE LEAD, AND A RIGID ANNULAR MEMBERMOVABLE IN A RADIAL DIRECTION IN THE CIRCULAR RECESS ENCLOSING THETORUS-SHAPED SPRING.